Love is insanity
by Morte Mistrata
Summary: "Why'd you even bother?" The tall green blur moved, and her eyes struggled to focus on him, making her dizzy. "Because you're family." He answered automatically. As he disappeared out of the door, she managed to croak, "Am I really?" He didn't reply. A story about Karai and Leo. Mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

`"Why'd you even bother?" The tall green blur moved, and her eyes struggled to focus on him, making her dizzy.

"Because you're family." He answered automatically.

As he disappeared out of the door, she managed to croak, "Am I really?"

He didn't reply.

OoOoOoO

Karai knew better than to leave her father's lair before she was allowed to. Still, the idea of meeting with Leo again had her suppressing a smile. It was one of the few times since she'd moved to New York that she'd had fun. It was like sparring. Fighting with him was like performing an intricate dance. His personality only sweetened the deal. He was so good and honorable. He was nice and kind. Everything that she had never known.

"Karai, you have been summoned to the Master's chamber." The soldier walked further into the darkened room. She was allowed no light accept for that provided durning the day. To make her eyes stronger, her father had said. She had only agreed because it served another purpose: hiding her exit. "Karai?" He called again tentatively, not seeing her in the shadows of the rafters. Now she had no choice but to go. If she answered now, he would see where she was and it wouldn't be hard to figure out how she managed to leave.

As he disappeared back into the hallway, she climbed out of the painted over skylight and climbed onto the roof. The moon shined upon New-York city, brighter than ever due to the pollution. Karai honestly preferred the night here more than in Japan because of it. The air might be thicker, but the lights sure did show up better.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying the feel of the wind in her hair until she arrived at the designated stopping point. Leo was already there, leaning against the base of the water tower.

She smiled and straightened her back, trying to ignore the thought of what would happen once she returned home.

"Hello, Captain Ryan." She said as she unsheathed her tanto.

"Nice to see you, Kawaii." He replied as he rushed at her. She blocked his first strike with one of her tanto, using the other to swipe at his forearm. He pushed her arm away as Karai drew back, using his sudden unbalance to cause him to fall. He landed on the ground with a thump, laughing. She offered him a hand.

"You win. I guess I owe you that manga now, huh?" He said as he got up.

The wind blew ferociously against them, making Karai shiver in the thin fabric of her uniform. The cool wind felt different than the breeze from her rooftop runs. It was colder, more foreboding. Leo shifted to block the wind and she tried to hide her smile. Always so fucking kind.

Suddenly, she noticed a large shadow appear over Leo's shoulder. She recognised the familiar silhouette seconds before he struck, only giving her enough time to push Leo out of the way before taking her father's hit, intended for his enemy's son.

His blade sliced through her side as she fell, her momentum the only thing keeping her from being split in half. She managed to look up at her Leo and scream at him to run before she faded into a familiar blackness; the only thing that comforted her was the knowledge that Leonardo had escaped her father, at least this time. Even as she fainted, she knew that her punishment would be the definition of pain.

When she woke up again, Karai's side was screeching with pain. He didn't give her painkillers, she knew. It was his motto that pain equaled strength, so she wasn't surprised that he had fixed her up without giving her any. Slowly she sat up, wincing as her stitches moved. Her body was slightly numb with the pain, and sh couldn't tell where she was for a moment.

She looked around the dark room, slow realization coming to her. This was her father's room. She had only been in here a few time, for important things, but she knew it well enough. She felt a hot breath on her shoulder and turned quicklly, causing her side to ache sharply. She bit her lip to hide her pain as she noticed that she was sitting in her father's lap. And he was naked.

Karai tried to get up, to get away, but a strong arm held her in place so that all she could do was struggle. Her father used his other hand to grope her breast through the thin black jumpsuit as he spoke, sneering into her ear.

"You deserve much worse than this, Karai. Be lucky it will only be your virginity instead of your life."

"You're a bit too late for that." She lied, her voice bitter as she looked around the room. The had to be some way out. Yet there wasn't. The doors were blocked with bookshelves and the windows were too high off of the ground for her to scale, espeially since the building was so smooth.

She froze in surprise as he wrapped his legs around her waist as he tore her jumpsuit off. Only the top part came off, causing him to growl in frustration. Roughly, he pushed her face down onto the bed. The sheets tangled around her as she struggled to push him away, only stopping when he hit her so hard in the head that she couldn't see straight, nor tell what he was doing to her lower half. At least, until Karai felt the cool air on her ass and legs.

She felt a strange pressure on her backside before feeling the uncomfortable sensation of her butt cheeks being spread apart.

OoOoOoO

Karai began to hate waking up as she was bombarded with pain from her head and side, and strangely, from within. What from? Did Leo win yesterday or-

It all came rushing back to her. Her father had raped her.

His arm was still draped around her body, his weight making it impossible to move. All she could do was shift slightly, to see that her stitches had ripped and started to bleed on the bed. She again tried to move to no avail. Her bladder was aching and she was sore all over. She had to leave.

So, Karai did the only thing she could think of: She peed. The warm liquid spread beneath them both, causing her father to wake up.

He sat up groggily, lifting his arm only for a second. That second was all that she needed. She rolled out from beneath him and ran for the window. She was yanked back by her hair so quickly that her head spun. Father grabbed one arm and dragged her back to the bed, throwing her back on with no hint of gentleness.

She didn't have time to block it before he hit her again, this time in the stomach. Karai curled over, trying to catch her breath as shivers ran through her. He grabbed her neck and yanked her up so that she was looking at him. As she struggled to breathe, he laughed.

"You should know by now that none can deny me." He released her again onto the bed. She grasped her neck with her hands, coughing as he continued. "You have soiled yourself. That is unacceptable, Karai." He said, the phrase almost identical to the one he repeated when she messed up a kata, or failed to defeat an adversary.

As he half-carried, half- dragged her to the bathroom, she managed to mutter through a raspy throat. "Why, Father?"

He paused as he stepped into the shower. "I am not your father. You are nothing more than an ace up my sleeve, as you are Hamato Yoshi's daughter. You are a pawn, and you are mine." He dropped her on the floor unceremoniously and then turned on the water. She waited for him to leave, but he didn't. Instead, he wet a washcloth and began to tenderly wipe her body, almost like a father would do for a child.

Her face contorted at the word: Father. She had none. This man was The Shredder and obviously didn't care about her one bit. She tried to stop herself from crying, only managing to stop it from being audible. Her shoulders shook as she cried, her tears mixing with the water. She vowed to kill him one day, one day soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo rarely had time to himself, but he made sure that he always met Karai on Tuesday night, ten P.M. sharp. Today he had had some trouble escaping the lair and his chores, but he managed to bribe Mikey into covering for him by promising to let him chose the next pizza's toppings and giving him a limited edition action figure.

As he glided above the rooftops, he thought of Karai again, specifically the last time that they had met. They had sparred as they always had, coming to a halt only when both of them were too tired to continue. As they had caught their breath, he could feel her warmth beside him and turned to look at her, as a sudden need for conversation filling him. Instead, he had found himself unable to talk as she stared back. It was like she was pulling him in with some sort of magic. Yeah, love, he thought as his mouth met hers.

She had been soft and sweet, tasting of the sugar cookies that they had just shared. But then the kiss had turned urgent as they pressed harder into each other, willing the other to give in. Neither relented as he traced the arch of her back, breaking for air.

"I think I might…" She had began before fading off. Her phone buzzed and she sighed as she went home the way she came, without saying goodbye or finishing her sentence.

Leo was going to meet her again today, and he would ask her to finish what she began learn time. He arrived at the meeting place early and waited for her to arrive, trying to seem like he hadn't been watching her cross the rooftops.

"Hello, Captain Ryan." She said with a smile. It was an old running joke between them, from the first time he admitted his liking of the show to her.

"Nice to see you, Kawaii." He replied as he watched her take out her tantos. So they were going to spar again. Maybe it would lead to the same ending as last time, he thought as he attacked her. It was a mindless game to be honest. They'd played this so many times he knew she was going to win before he even recognized it.

As she helped him up, he wondered how he should breach the topic. Or should he let her? He had no idea what to do and it was frustrating. He laughed.

"You win. I guess I owe you that manga now, huh?" Not like he had kept the next issue under his bed, sealed in a plastic bag or anything.

She smiled and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. Her hair was short and neat, eye makeup dramatic to distract opponents. She was the epitome of beauty; she was the perfect ninja

Unconsciously, he moved to block her from the wind as he continued studying her, hoping that she'd bring up the events of last Tuesday. Only she didn't. Instead her face changed as she lunged at him, in his surprise knocking him several feet away. The Shredder's blade, meant for him, sliced through her side. The rate of red spilling across the asphalt was frightening. He picked up his katana and took a defensive stance, ready to defend himself and her, if need be.

"Run the fuck away!" She yelled, her voice changed with a mix of desperation and pain. He had never heard this tone from her before. The sound scared him so much that he listened and left, knowing that staying would only result in both of their deaths. It hurt Leo to leave her behind, but he had every confidence that he would get her back. For good this time.

When Leonardo got back to the lair, an irate Master Splinter was waiting for him.

" Why did you try to sneak out-" He stopped mid sentence as his nose twitched. "I smell blood and it not yours. Where have you been?"

Leonardo felt all of the pressure building up. The need to be the best leader. The most obedient son. The greatest ninja. The perfect student. It collapsed and like a dam breaking, his words flowed free.

"I was out with Karai, like I am every Tuesday. Sensei," he begged. " I was careful but this time...we were careless. Her father found us and tried to kill me. She took the hit for me."

Master Splinter froze for a moment as he said the word father before placing his hand on Leo's shoulder. "Come with me. We have much to discuss." He said as he walked to his room. Leo followed, his feet dragging with guilt.

As he sat down on the mat, his master walked over to the shrine of his wife and child. He wondered briefly if they would be mentioned in his lecturing today.

Instead, his master picked the picture up from its resting place and sat down in front of him. Without looking up, he started to explain.

"During the fire that claimed Teng Shen, I saw my daughter's body behind a wall of flame. I assumed that she had died." He stopped stroking the picture and looked up at his son. "I assumed wrong. He took her, raised her as his own."

The information hit him like a direct punch from an angry Raph. He thought of all the times he had fantasized about a relationship with her, the time that they had kissed. All the while, it was his master's daughter. His sister, basically. His hands shook as he struggled with the information.

Taking a deep breath, he met his master's eyes. They were filled with concern and pain, and he had no doubt that he was the cause of some of it.

"We have to rescue her, Sensei. She can't stay with that monster anymore. He'll-" He broke off, unable to choke out the word. Leo had seen the marks on her. Marks that none of his brothers had given her, that no one except someone that she let close could do. No one except The Shredder could have choked her.

Sensei stood up. "I should expect this from him. Call your brothers. We must make a plan." He sat down in front of his tree and closed his eyes. "I must meditate on this."

Numbly, Leo nodded. He left the dojo quietly, his heart beating faster than his brother's footsteps as they ran away from the door. They had scrambled away, except for Mikey, who looked up at him in confusion.

"Bro, does that mean we gotta sister?" He asked, wide blue eyes staring at him.

Leo looked around the room, eyeing Donnie and Raph who were trying to nonchalantly watch tv. They were doing a horrible job of it. Raph had sat down on a pizza box, and the cold cheese was sliding out from under him. He fidgeted but kept his eyes on the tv, though Leo knew that he was listening. Donnie had landed in an almost split and was struggling to maintain the pose.

"I know you guys were listening. So let's stop the games and get to planning her rescue." He said, avoiding Mikey's question.

Donnie nodded as he jumped over the couch. "Great. So what are our givens? How badly do you think she'll be hurt and where would she be?"

Raph frowned and crossed his arms. His face was a slightly darker shade of green. "Why should we? She got herself into this mess, she can get herself out."

Leo fumed. Raph just had to make this hard, didn't he? He walked up to him and jabbed him in the plastron with a stiff finger.

"She is Master Splinter's daughter. That makes her our sister, and we don't leave family behind."

"She is _not_ my sister." Raph said before storming off in the direction of his room. A moment later his door slammed shut.

Mikey turned to Leo. "We'll rescue Karai, Leo." He wrapped his arms around him. Leo took in a deep breath.

"We'll get her back, Leo. I promise." Donnie said as he opened uo his laptop. "I have a plan."


	3. Chapter 3

The light fell across her face strangely through the bars of the cage. Her cage, with her name engraved into it, hung from the ceiling in The Shredder's room. He had left her there as he attended to business. She was left there to be admired, viewed, mocked. She was nothing more than a trophy to him. One to be displayed and kept hidden away, guarded jealously from anyone else.

Her entire life was lived in a cage, she realized. She had never been able to chose anything for herself. Not her profession. Not her passion. Not her family. Not even her friends, if foot soldiers could be called such. Though she hadn't seen it until now, he had always looked at her with lustful eyes. Karai had mistaken it for love, though she knew that she had that wrong.

The door creaked open and he stepped through, holding a box in his hand, his helmet in the other. He set the helmet on the bedside table as he stood before the cage.

"Karai."

She stared back at him, refusing to acknowledge the greeting. Karai knew what this sign of disrespect would warrant, but it was the only bit of defiance that she could manage. He frowned, his burns rippling with the expression. He slowly lowered the cage to the ground and opened the door. After she walked out, wincing with every step, he placed his hands on her shoulders and steered her towards the bed. She shivered as he unbuttoned the simple jumpsuit, allowing his fingers to trace the skin around her bra. He lowered the fabric until it reached her waist before tracing the line above her underwear as well. She felt like throwing up, or was that the feeling of hunger?

Karai was supposed to get up now, so that he could remove the rest of the jumper. She didn't. She was not going to submit without a fight. She refused to. He had taken everything else from her, everything except for her defiance. He leaned over her to force her up giving her the chance to bring her her knee up, hard. He keeled over and she took this chance to run. To run towards the door left unguarded. To run to freedom.

Her chest was heaving and she couldn't breathe. Her legs and arms ached, but she tried to make it there, tried her best. He grabbed the fabric and pulled onto the ground. She didn't even make it halfway.

OoOoO

When he came back for her, she was in a new kimono, though it was much shorter that it should've been, if it was traditional. He dropped several items onto the metal floor with a clatter. A knife. A lighter. A small vial of something green. A whip.

He stared down at her impressively as she struggled to sit up. She was a ninja, and a ninja could fight through pain. She refused to accept any of this without a fight. Gritting her teeth, she got to her feet.

"Pick your punishment." He growled. He had done this before, though the punishments had never been so bad. They had mostly included chores, Katas, only occasionally physical things like this.

She glared at him but did not move. He stepped forward and slapped her. Her head flew back hard, hitting the bars of her cage making her cough as her neck wounds inflamed.

"You will pick, or you will have all three." He warned. She didn't doubt him.

Shakily, she grabbed the knife and threw it at him. He didn't wince. Because of her shakiness, it veered very off course, landing in the bar beside him. He grabbed it and closed the cage door behind him.

He was very precise as he cut, as a ninja should be; this time it was in reverse. Instead of aiming for her arteries, he was sure to cut in nonlethal places so that she bled but would not die. She told herself not to move, in case she inadvertly cause her own death. He cut her inner thigh, making it bleed like her period was on. He slashed at her ankles, carvingin intricate designs into her back. He carved her up, ruining her everywhere except for her face, which he seemed to want unharmed. He carressed her face for a moment, before continuing.

After he finished, he threw the knife to the ground and locked the door behind him. He didn't even bother raising the cage. She was far too hurt to try to escape again. As she sat there waiting, the blood congelating, she closed her eyes and thought of suicide. Of death. Was it not better than being his toy? She would certainly remain that way unless she escaped. She let her mind drift away and dreamt of seppuku.

OoOoOoO

"Do you know what honor is Karai?" He said as he paced her cell. "It is equality. It is your worth. But you," He sneered, spit flying in between the bars. "you are the result of a tryst, a break in blood. You are the child of dishonor. Perhaps I can beat it back into you as I force you into submission. We shall see." The Shredder left the room again. Once she was sure that he was gone, she let herself cry. Oh what a mess she had gotten into.

Karai lay down on the floor of the cage. It was cold and sticky with the blood that saturated her form. Still, it was better than the alternative: watching the door until he returned. The moonlight shined down on her as she watched the stars. Suddenly a shadow flashed over her light and she sat up, skin burning as she ripped it from the hold of the dried blood.

"Leo?" She rasped. The shadow paused over her window and she swore that she could see the tails of his mask fly in the wind. He was coming. She just had to hold on a little bit longer.


	4. Chapter 4

Somehow the wind felt differnet as he leapt across the New York sky to The Shredder's lair. It wasn't fun. It was a chore for Leo to move, to keep himself from falling. If he hadn't have gone that day. If he had've convinced her to come back with him. If only… There were so many things that he could've done, but hadn't.

"Leo," Donnie said as he typed on his T-phone. "From what I found of the old schematics, there should be some room on the roof and from the sewers to get in unnoticed." He showed Leo the picture. "From what you've said and from the design of the rooms, I think it's worthwhile to look around upstairs first." Donnie was being pleasently helpful, not questioning Leo's authority or asking too many questions. Leo supposed that he knew what it was like to have the person you liked in harm's way. He felt a stronger bond with him because of this shared emotion.

Mikey was finding it hard to keep still. He was restless, and worried about getting their 'sister' back. He was the most accepting of the term, not minding what she had done in the past, nor that she was raised by their enemy. He simply saw Karai as family because his big brother and Sensei saw her as such.

It made Leo proud that they were so supportive, so willing to be there for him.

"You two check out the lower levels. I'll check out the roof." He ordered. They nodded, then disappeared into the dark, though he could still hear Mikey's taunting and jokes.

Leo climbed higher up the building, checking every window discreetly for his… Karai. The Shredder's distinctive low voice wafted up through a close window and he was careful to avoid creating a shadow as he listened in.

"...the child of dishonor. Perhaps I can beat it back into you as I force you into submission. We shall see." He said. Leo waited until he could no longer hear his breathing, only the soft whimpering of a girl. He creeped over the window and peered in, the wind lifting his mask ends so that they fluttered in the wind.

Karai sat in a gold, gilded cage, held aloft the floor by a chain of simliar design. Her kimono was short and did not hide the marks all over her body. Her skin was painted with scars and the ground around her was red.

"Karai…" He whispered before he could help himself. He would be back for her, he promised himself that. The Shredder would pay.

As he turned to go, she looked up at him, almost making eye contact with him. He forced himself to leave as she softly called out, "Leo?"

Mikey and Donnie had also finished their search of the area, and he filled them in as they walked back home through the sewers. He was in a haze of anger all the while.

When they got back, Raph had calmed down, and was sharpening the spare weapons. Leo watched him methodically grease down his swords, then gingerly wipe it clean so that the metal was smooth and shining. He stood there, watching, the methodical and gentle movements of his brother calming him down enough to think clearly again.

"You just gonna stand there and watch, or are ya gonna say something?" Raph said without turning around.

Leo sighed and sat down the ground behind him. He unloaded his gear and frowned.

"He's been hurting her Raph. Real bad."

"Yeah? Well she's hurt us too." He replied hotly as he traded the katana for Donnie's bo. He turned around as he grabbed the jar of wood polish and began to rub away the splinters and rough patches.

Leo shook his head, feeling the remanant of the anger from before heat again. "Not like that Raph. The floor," His throat tightened. "It was covered in her blood. She was covered in bruises. Not once has she ever hurt us like that. Not for fun like he did."

Raph gently placed the bo on the ground, then put the polish back on it's shelf. Once the station was clean, he sat down next to him. He put an arm around Leo's shoulder, something that he rarely did anymore.

"Leo," He said, meeting Leo's blue eyes with his emerald. "I've seen you with her. She's more than just another soul in need for Fearless to rescue, isn't she?"

Leo didn't want to answer. He knew he didn't have to. Raph wouldn't force it out of him. But the knowledge was heavy and it was starting to wear on him. He exhaled and leaned into his brother.

"I think I love her, Raph. And she's basically our sister."

He was quiet for a moment before he answered. "I don't think she is though. She's at most a half sister, though I doubt we have that much DNA in common. We can ask Donnie to test her DNA when we get her back." Leo nodded, shocked by the sudden turn around of his brother's attitude. He said nothing about it though, and followed him back into the main room.

Donnie had a map of the building laid out, the skylight he had seen Karai though colored orange. A few other spaces were colored as well. He pointed to the orange spot.

"We will converge here, free Karai and escape. If something happens, the main goal is to avoid these spots. They're heavily guarded." He nodded at Leo. "Leo and Raph, you'll cover us as we get Karai out of there. Got it?"

Normally Leo would complain about Donnie taking over his job, as planning missions was a leader's duty. This time he said nothing. He doubted his plan would work, if he even had any.

He nodded back.

"What time should we attack, Don? Have any idea?" Raph asked, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"According to their shift changes and activity levels, the best time would be just after five in the morning."

Leo looked up at the clock. It was nearing three. They had time to do it tonight. "Team, get ready. We're going in tonight." He said as he walked to Master Splinter's room. He raised his hand to knock on the door, though before he could, it opened. It used to startle him when he answered before he knocked, but over time he had got used to it.

His father stepped aside for him to enter and he walked into the dojo, which smelled heavily of insense. He bowed before sitting down, though he was anxious to speak.

"Yes, my son? I can sense that you have something urgent to say." He said as he produced a teapot and cups.

Leo took the cup gratefully, as it gave his hands something to do. "Master Splinter, we think we know how to rescue Karai. I wanted you to know before we attempted. And I also wanted to ask," Leo searched for the right words. "Is she my sister, or another student of my sensei? How do I treat her when I'm in-" He paused before the word came out, though it still hung heavy between them.

Leo watched as his eyes grew dull. He was receding into his inner conciousness to search for the answer to this question. It was something he had only done in front of him once before, when he had attempted to teach Leo how to do it.

He waited.

Finally Master Splinter regained the light in his eyes. "We can discuss this later. Go, my son, and bring my daughter home."

Leo nodded and bowed again before leaving. As they gathered their weapons and prepared to leave, he couldn't help but think that the past two days had felt like an eternity.

 **I know that I've been really rude to all of you by constantly abandoning my stories. I know an excuse won't make it up to you, but it's been because I've been battling depression and recently it has lifted a bit. I decided to finish this story completely before posting the first chapter, so don't worry about this story not being completed. I apologieze and I really am sorry.**


	5. Chapter 5

Karai's head was a hole that she could not climb out of, even though she constantly tried. The pain and bloodloss had made her drowsy, and though she wanted to sleep, the nightmares were not worth it. She struggled to keep her eyes open as the sky started to lighten.

A shadow flashed over her moon and she forced her eyes open a bit wider. Was that Leo this time, or just her imagination again? She tried to focus on the shape.

Green skin, blue bandana. Yup. That was him. What was he-

Suddenly he was falling through the skylight. The glass shattered and scattered around the floor, some of it falling into her cage. She closed her eyes, though she was too weak to protect her face.

"I'm going to get you out, Karai." Leo said as he searched the room for a key. His three brothers came through the roof next. They landed with soft thuds before fanning out to help. The one with the red mask, Rapheal she thought it was, hissed.

" _We_ are here to get her out. Not just you."

Leo rolled his eyes but said nothing.

She struggled to get up, but managed, using the bars of the cage to prop her up. "Lower the cage first." She said, her throat aching. Her head thrummed from dehydration and her stomach clenched.

Raph nodded and grabbed the chain. He underestimated the weight of the cage, and skidded as it fell down. He only slowed the descent marginally. Karai bit her tongue as it clattered to the ground. The alarm sounded off moments later.

They paused for only a moment before rushing to break the cage door. A few well placed hits on the lock, and it was open. She stared dumbly at it, unsure of what to do. Luckily for her, she didn't have to decide.

The tallest one and Mikey placed her arms around their shoulders and helped her out of the cage. The door slammed open, The Shredder coming at them. His blades were already extended. Karai closed her eyes and waited to be hit again, but nothing happened. Leo's katana blocked the hit. He pushed back until their weapons separated.

"Get her out of here!" He yelled as he blocked another attack. Raph stayed behind as the other two carried her out. She caught a glimpse of him lunging at The Shredder as they climbed onto the fire escape.

When they reached the top, the orange one transferred her to the tall one's back. She tried to hold on, but failed miserably at it. With a smile, Mikey tied her arms around him. She didn't feel like smiling back.

Karai didn't even notice that she had fallen asleep until she woke up. She tried to sit up, even s her body screamed at her to stay still.

Two green hand carefully lowered her back down. "No you don't. You need to stay still." It was the tall one again.

"What's...which one are you?" She rasped. He lifted a water bottle to her lips and she drank thirstily. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm Donnie. I helped bring you back while Leo and Raph distracted the Shredder." He removed the bottle from her lips. "I also bandaged your wounds."

Karai froze twice. First when he mentioned that Leo had fought The Shredder; no one came back from a fight with him unharmed. Second, when he mentioned bandaging her wounds. She could barely feel her body, so she couldn' tell if he had seen the damage...done below. If he did, did he tell anyone? She wished she had her tanto so that she could force the information out of him.

He turnd away from her and called to someone in the corner of the room. "April, can you come watch her for a moment? I need to get some blood transfusions for her."

Karai breifly wondered where the blood would come from, before she realised that the girl, April was coming to sit beside her.

The redhead looked at her warily. "I can tell you have some questions that you want to ask. And you're hungry, aren't you?"

Karai's stomach growled, surprising her. How did this girl know? She shook the thought out of her head. It didn't matter. What mattered was answers.

She cleared her throat, which hurt less now. "Is Leo okay?"

April smiled. "Perfectly fine except for a cut on his shoulder. Are you okay? That was some...stuff you went through."

Karai's eyes widened. Did that mean that she knew?

"No one knows but me. I wouldn't let him doctor on your lower half until I found you some underwear. I also gave you some...day after pills just in case. I hope you didn't mind."

Karai's eyes watered. Her secret was safe, saved by some girl who didn't even know her. By a girl that she had once tried to kill. "Thank you." She whispered, just as Leo and Donnie came in.

Leo's shoulder was bandaged, trailing down to his elbow, but otherwise looked fine. He smiled at her as he walked over to her bed. He looked for somewhere to place his hand that wasn't bandaged, but found none, instead dropping it to his side.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"How do you think, Captain Ryan?" She replied, rolling her eyes. His eyes lit up a bit as he saw her speak with her normal spunk.

Donnie appeared beside her with a red bag. He set it up on an IV stand and attached an IV needle. Karai eyed him suspiciously.

"Where'd the blood come from?" She coughed. Leo offered her a glass of water, but she refused. Her stomach felt funny from the weight of the water and though she was still thirst and still hungry, she knew she didn't need it now.

Donnie shifted his eyes away from her, and nodded at Leo.

"Turns out we have the same blood type. Heh. Never would'a guessed." Leo replied. Donnie stuck the needle in her already sore hand as he talked. She ignored him.

"But how is it compatable?" Leo shrugged at her question.

"I _am_ half human you know."

She sighed but let Donnie start the trasnfusion. As soon as it started flowing, she started getting sleepy. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but failed.

The Shredder was on top of her again, pressing against her. His hands wrapped around hr troat and she clawed at them, trying to free herself. He laughed at he feeble attempt before releasing her, and holding her hands above her head with one hand. With the other, he cut her breast. He carved the kanji for whore into her skin before lapping up the blood. She screamed and spit in his face. All he did was laughed as he tore her pants away.

"Karai! Karai! Wake up. It's just a bad dream." Leo said as he shook her shoulders. She gasped. She was with Leo and his brothers. She was out of the Shredder's reach.

She took one look at his face, his bruised and concerned face and cried. He did all of this for her, and she wasn't worth it. She had lied to the Shredder about her virginity, but it was true that she had wanted to give it to Leo. And now that gift was gone.

Carefully, he scooped her up and held her in his lap. She cried into his shoulder, hiding her tears in the scent of tea and water.

"I want to kill him." She sobbed. He had made her into this weak patheitc mess. "I want to see his blood flow."

He stroked her hair as he held her closer. "You will. I promise. He has done enough to hurt this family."

"But, Leo-" She started.

"Shhh… Tomorrow. For now, you need to sleep." He whispered into her hair.

In the arms of her turtle, she fell asleep, taking refuge in Morpheus' grasp and the sweetness of not dreaming.


	6. Chapter 6

Leo never woke up not remembering what had happened the night before. Always. However, this time, he did find it hard to believe that Karai was at home with him, sleeping in his arms. He watched her inhale and exhale, the slight movement of her chest when she did. He could barely see her skin through all of the bandages, som of them tinged pink, others nearly red.

He reached over to stroke her hair when she suddenly woke up. She sat up quickly, noticing that she was in his lap. He dropped his hand. Karai looked torn between staying there and leaving. Leo sighed as he picked her up.

"Put me the hell down Leo. I can walk." She said, some of her regular sting back in her voice.

He shook his head as he put her on the cot. "No, you can't. Your dehydrated and lost 2 pints of blood. Not to mention that one of your ribs is cracked." She glared at him and he knew that she would try to get up just to spite him. "Look, I know you're trying to keep up your tough girl act, but it's not going to help you heal in the long run. You're more likely to fall and get hurt some more. You can be badass in a chair, can't you?

Her glare disappeared, melting into an eye roll. "Fine." She muttered. "You got any coffee? I'm going to be cranky until I get some."

"Yeah? You like creme and sugar?"

"Just sugar." She replied, laying back down as he left Donnie's lab, which they had used as a medbay.

Don had already made a pot of coffee for himself that morning, so he poured her some into a mug, adding a bunch of sugar until he could smell it himself. As he walked back to the lab, he ran into Raph, who was walking out of the Dojo.

"Yo, Leo, how's she doing?" He said, jerking his head in the direction of the lab.

The door wobbled open and Karai walked out uncertainly, leaning on the doorframe for support. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" She retorted.

The two brothers spoke at the same time.

Raph rolled his eyes, "How you doing, Princess?"

While Leo rushed over, he repeated, "You're supposed to stay in bed."

Karai looked first at Raph. "I'm good." Then at Leo. "I don't suppose you have a bathroom built into the cot, huh?"

Raph nodded, then stood there, unsure of what to do or say. Leo tried to figure out how to help her to the bathroom. She'd definitely need help using it, he thought, noticing how stiff she walked and how she stumbled as she walked towards Leo.

April appeared from the over the couch. She waved the two boys away. "I'll help her. Go make her some soup or oatmeal or something." She paused, remembering all the times that the two of them had destroyed the kitchen by boiling water. "Actually, ask Mikey to do it." She eyed them sternly before helping Karai to the bathroom. They mumbled to each other as they walked.

Raph turned to Leo, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "So, does she know?"

Leo bit the inside of his cheek. "I don't know." Master Splinter should probably tell her if she doesn't already know. Still, it nagged him what he had said regarding Karai's relation to him.

Raph looked like he was going to ask some more questions, but stopped as April helped Karai stagger back out. Master Splinter walked out just as they did. The room froze.

Leo felt like he was intruding on a private moment as Karai stumbled towards her father, collapsing in a hug at his waist. He started murmering to her in japanese and she sobbed as she attempted to answer back. April stood awkwardly at the edge of the hallway, as Raph tried to glide out.

He turned around walked out, back into his room quietly. He doubted that anyone would notice until their reunion was over, as well as the conversation that would follow. April came in a few seconds after him.

"Sorry for intruding on you Leo. Do you mind if I stay here for a little bit?" The red-haired girl asked.

Leo didn't get why she came into his room when Donnie's was just next door, but he wasn't one to deny such a simple request. "Sure."

April leaned against the door and crossed her arms. "Y'know, she went through some stuff."

He sat down on the bed. He was the only one of his brothers who actually made the bed and kept it clean, so he wasn't afraid to motion for her to sit.

"That's not a question." He replied.

She giggled. "No, I guess not. What I meant to do was tell you to treat her normal. The whole 'fragile flower' thing isn't going to work with her. She feels...weak. Don't treat her like she is."

Leo raised a brow. He hadn't realized that today was one of her days. It was usually very obvious when April was on her period, because A, he could smell it, and B, her abilities were stronger. He supposed that the scent of Karai's blood had made it harder to smell hers. Unsurprisingly, she had caught on to the mood of the household.

He nodded. Her advice was usually very sound. He trusted her as a big sister, especially now that there was another teenage girl living with them. "Thanks, April."

She smiled as she opened his door, pausing before letting it close. "Any time, Leo."

Karai spent the rest of the day in the dojo with Master Splinter, leaving Leo with nothing to do. He couldn't train. He couldn't worry about her. All he could do was watch tv with his brothers. It was fine at first, but no one could last six hours watching the same series, so he left at the end of the Space heros marathon.

A box of pizza was left in the kitchen, cold now, but still edible. He picked up a few slices and carried them back to his room. What had happened to Karai while she was there? She had obviously been abused in the short time since they were caught, but had she been hurt like that before. He knew that The Shredder wasn't above hurting others, but why would he hurt his 'daughter' when she had been loyal to him? Had he?

As he swallowed the last of the cold pizza, he crawled under the covers, swathing himself in heat. The stress from the past week or so was finally catching up to him, he thought as his eyes grew heavy lidded, then closed.

 _She was crying. And she was naked. He couldn't see her body, as it was blurred like nudity was covered on TV, but he could still see the blood. A puddle of it beneath her feet as she squatted in the small cage. The Shredder dangled it in his hand, laughing at Leo's attempts to reach it._

 _The Shredder laughed. "I own her. She is my payment for your master's mistake, and I will have her back." He threw the cage into the darkness, Karai screaming as she disappeared. "Next time I'll take one of you as payment for your stealing." The giant man reached down for him, grabbing him even as he ran away. He lifted Leo up._

 _The scene froze._

" _Leo, wake up."_

 _Slowly it resumed, Leo struggling as the Shredder tore off his bandana._

" _Leo, wake the hell up." April appeared before him, floating in mid-air, arms crossed. The angry red head was pissed._

 _She snapped. "Wake up."_

When Leo woke up again, April was slumped against the edge of the bed. It looke like she had fallen over. He leaned over and shook her shoulder.

"April, are you okay?" He whispered.

Slowly, she raised her head. Her eyes looked tired as she whispered back. "Next time, try not to force me out when I'm trying to help." Her head fell back down onto the comforter.

He snorted, more thankful than he could express in words. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."


End file.
